I need to attach several pieces onto the deck this weekend and I was wondering about a few things. My guess is that most are using a caulk (Probably 3M 5200) as a bedding for all of this. I figured that we want to be able to remove these items to either repair or replace over time and I wouldn't want to glue thes things to the deck. I'm thinking about cleats and the feet for the taffrail.
I just noticed on another post how Adla has her cam cleats right at the back edge of the cabin roof. What a great idea!! From what I can figure out I believe I will have three lines to deal with: The main sheet, the throat halyard and the peak halyard. So I figure the peak and throat can go right there. Any other ideas on where to run those lines?
Also, what's a good number and placement of cleats on the deck? I know I'm gonna need them for things like fenders, etc.
Use 3M 101, 3M 4200 or other less aggressive bedding compound then 3M 5200. 3M 5200 is an adhesive/sealant, with a lot of adhesive qualities. It's pretty much a guarantee that you'll have great trouble removing the part at some later date if you use 3M 5200. I recommend polysulfide for all bedding applications (3M 101 or similar). It too is an adhesive/sealant, but oriented to the sealant side of the coin, so you can remove the piece eventually.
How you arrange the running rigging is really subject to user preference. Everyone has their own way of doing things, with none being ideal or correct. Set it up as seems logical for you and your needs, then sail it for a while. After the first season, you'll have a host of changes you'll want to make, including the rig. You will not know what these changes will be until you've tried and tested a basic arrangement. So, build 'er, sail 'er and then modify 'er. This is an endless cycle, get use to it as it's the nature of the beast.
Thanks for the tip Paul. I also forgot about the jib. I'll need another cam cleat for that. The picture that's emerging is of two cam cleats on one side of the cabin for the peak and throat halyard and one on the other side for the jib. I'm thinking that I should have about three cleats place along the rub rails more or less evenly spaced on each side.
Don't rely on cam cleats as the last word, they can creep a bit, especially on highly loaded lines, like a halyard. I prefer to use cam cleats as a temporary hold on with a horn cleat or clutch as a for sure it's not going to move thing. Often I'll have cam cleats just in front of a real cleat. This way I can cam it off, while making an adjustment, but take a 'round or two on a real cleat when it's set the way I want.
I also don't like to clutter up the cockpit with a bunch of lines, so I prefer halyards and lifts at the mast. I figure I'll be at the mast when I reef, douse, hoist, and tie up a flaked sail so that's where I want the halyard and lift stoppers. Others like the idea of having everything within reach, which is fine too.
Yeah, I got to thinking about that......I really couldn't see any reason to have the throat halyard run back to the cockpit unless you had to drop the sails in a hurry! I should be able to tie it off up at the mast where I already have two cleats; one each for the throat and jib. It appears that all I need back at the cockpit are the peak halyard and jib.
Tom, Saralee has all the main stuff on one side of the cockpit and all of the jib lines on the other. You might want to think about a jib down haul. They tend to want to blow back up the shroud sometimes and not fall when loaded. Color coordination of the lines by function makes it easier when you have pax aboard. The jib halyard means nothing to them but the "blue one next to the hand rail' tells them which string to pull.
Tom here is my two cents worth. I would run both halyards back to the cockpit now, it will save you doing it later. It makes it much easier to get your sail up and down and you can see your sail better. If you deside not to, leave enough line on the throat with the sail down and the mast folded down to reach the cockpit. this will save you buying more line later. I didn't read this in a book. Bud :wink:
I have to agree with Bud. You should also run jiffy reefing lines eventually, as the last place you want to be in a small boat is on the fore deck if you need to get the sail down or reef in bad conditions, and they can come on very suddenly. I have always been able to reef from safely in the cockpit. I never read this in a book either.
All of these things have been at the back of my mind. Call me "convinced."
So, it looks like I'll want to run the throat and peak back on one side and the jib back on the other. It also looks like I'll use a combination of a cam cleat with a regular cleat right after.
A couple of details I'm unclear on. What are jiffy reefing lines. I do have reef points in my sail and I have always assumed that if I release the throat and peak halyards, the sail would either come down on its own or I would help by pulling them down by hand from in the cockpit. Perhaps I need to do something different here.
I'm also trying to figure out what a jib downhaul would look like. My guess is that the line would have to follow up the forestay and then lead back to the cockpit. How would that work? Would the line go up through the hanks.
I was thinking about things today and I think I'll want to try to create some emergency drills to practice in calm weather so when the bad stuff hits, I'll know what to do without thinking about it. Any recommendations on that?